In the Last Days

Now the terrible and frightening pandemic has interrupted our church service and outreaches.  Out of the fear of spreading the contamination across the world, many churches are closing down the tent. The church authorities in obedience to the state laws are adopting the measures while advising believers and worshippers to refrain from hugging one another, handshakes, handholding, and communion sharing.

Due to this, millions of believers have been unable to take part physically in any church services and that may continue for weeks. With the possibility that they may not be able to again for months. Simply put, the coronavirus pandemic is fundamentally interrupting and changing the way we do and will be a church at the same time. Never before has the church been disrupted in her services. The question then is:

• Will the changes will be long or short term?
• To what extent will this historic pandemic will change the local church?

Moreover, what are those things we should expect to remain the same in the church?  In this case, a comparison should be made of the plague that occurred in Egypt during the first Passover of the children of Israel

• What should we expect to see in the coming days, both in the church and the world?

The answer to all those question rest with the Lord, who know why the event took place. He can as well reveal the true meaning of the pandemic crisis to the church if there is a need for that. The Bible can also help us have a clear view of the events through the lens of interpretation.

However, due to the outbreak of the pandemic, some of the changes the church shall witness worldwide could be in the direction and the processes of services.  Perhaps our Lord can use the Coronavirus crisis as a means of educating the church about the expected changes and the new initiative that shall make landfall soon. Hence, some of the changes we should expect in our churches are these:

• Most believers shall come to a new definition of the true meaning of the church as a living body different from a building where everyone meets.
• The pandemic shall initiate new opportunities in teaching that sheds more light on the end-time theology of the church.
• There would be inevitable causes to restructure the church organization with new departments created to reflect the unity and true leadership.
• There might be a new and substantial appointment or election of new elders and deacons to run the affairs of the church.
• The strengthening of the virtualization of the church.
• The sanctification and the purification of the church.
• The coming judgment that shall commence in the house of God as prophesied in the epistles of Apostle Peter.
• The judgment that shall come upon all nations in the world. The separation of the sheep and the goat’s nations.
• The great tribulation revealed in the Olivet discourse happening eventually.
• Our level of preparedness to evangelize and meet with the coming of our Lord.
• The need for a family altar and fellowship reinforced and increased.
• The need for growth in the church and the balancing of missions and outreaches to the unsaved.
• Of the necessity of prayer and intercession first for all men, leaders, and the church.
• And the need to show compassion and care for our neighbors

That way the church can make the necessary adjustments to her in-reach and outreach programs.  She can ensure the wise and prudent among the leaders are shepherding her flock. As in 1 Corinthians 12:18, we have learned that our Lord has arranged the flocks, all the members in the body, and placed each one as it pleased Him.

But could there be a parallel in this battle to what had transpired in the past? The church has passed through many stages and had experienced various dangerous plagues in the past. Yes, starting from the birthday of the church of the Lord in Jerusalem, a closer look shows how the COVID-19 pandemic era has a striking resemblance to the post-resurrection church of the Apostles in the upper room. During that period, the Apostles and disciples were very susceptible, but interconnected, yet frightful of physical closeness due to persecution.

Yet more parallel can be drawn between the present day social distancing with the involuntary interruption of the Apostles. At that time, they were hiding in fear for their life from the twin persecution of the state and the priestly class. The persecution was the period; the church gave birth to a new beginning in evangelism that reached the end of the known world.    The same setting could be right in place with the pandemic crisis ravaging the world. The church could be going through this crisis while building edifices amid the present pandemonium. The church at the same time could be growing stronger spiritually and both internally and externally. The nucleus of a greater explosion of church growth could be the church members now taking shelter in homes, from fear, and the effect of the pandemic outbreak

Let Nature teach when God cannot

A few days ago, I watched a documentary on Discovery/Nature Channel by Sir David Attenborough the great explorer who has been at the forefront of uncovering the hidden treasures of the ocean depths through innovative technology. His programs are widely viewed worldwide by those very eager to learn about the world around us.

I was amazed after watching his daring expeditions, at the resourcefulness and values of his works to humankind. Through his effort and discoveries, we now know so much about what nature holds. In 2015, he used a submersible to film the previously unseen parts of the Great Barrier Reef, off the Australian coast.

Now humankind is without excuse since we know so much about nature than before this time due to the application of science and new technologies. Man can now boast of reaching the depths of the sea and the heights of the atmosphere. But the question still remains have we allowed nature to teach us any useful lesson of life. Alternatively, what has nature taught us?

The Creator in His wisdom has hidden wisdom in many places easy to be found by all who desire to learn the ways of God. God even commanded us to go to the ants to learn the ways of life. Perhaps the tiny ants can teach us better than tens of thousands of teachers. How many would dare study the life pattern of the ants?

In the Bible, God asked some questions about the ways of nature and the paths of wisdom in the highly rated book of Job. But has nature taught us any useful lesson to enlighten our darkness? Therefore, there are two principal avenues to learn about the ways and work of God.  These are:

·         Nature representing the general revelation of God.

·         The Bible called the word of God representing the special revelation of God

For example, in nature, one can find the simplest animal has within her species several of her kinds reflecting diversities. Let say the cats that are multi-colored, with faces and variable body structure. This is expressly true in different parts of the world. The same can be said of the flocks, birds, ants, rodents, fishes, and many other creatures according to their kinds. The same can be observed in the flora world of trees and herbs.

What is nature teaching by this subtle difference observed in the simplest of the plants and animals? She is teaching us to look at ourselves and appreciate our diversities expressed by our races and colors.

If only nature has, a voice to teach man what he is blind to see.  In the Psalms, the Bible says heaven declares the glory of God without voice and languages. Why has God not permitted nature to teach us by speaking in human languages? If only nature can teach us that man is a creature of God with many characteristics that reflects the goodness of God. Then the world would have been a safer and better place to live in.

Apostle Paul speaking to the believers in the city of Corinth castigated them of their ignorance of the lessons of nature. He chided them for not permitting the knowledge of nature to influence their practice of the faith. The same is true of today’s practice of faith worldwide. In a situation where racism intolerance and hatred runs riot in many Christian nations. All goes to show that the leaders are still blind to the lessons of nature. They have refused the obvious in place of the great deception.

Without the world and the church accepting and promoting the revelation of nature to believers the issues of race relations and injustice would be a troubling thorn in the flesh of the body. Bible teachers can teach all the doctrines of the bible without making a dent in the conscience of the hardened heart caught in the web race superiority. The only way out is the involvement of the teacher of the New Covenant using both lessons of nature and the word of God to enlighten the heart of man?

It does not make any sense of watching nature without learning the lesson she is teaching. Why spend time watching discovery channel without understanding that man is the primary focus of the entire discovery on show.

Therefore, let God teach us that we might know what nature has to say in the wake of the crisis engulfing the world. So that we can, all look at man created in the theomorphic image of God, celebrate, and appreciate our difference in love. Nature condemns racism. Nature rejects the doctrine of the superiority of one race against other races. Nature is color blind.    

A Crisis could be your next opportunity

Moreover, as humans, we are accustomed to believing that unplanned changes caused by a crisis are not our friends because they tend to threaten and upset the balance of our nature and livelihood. However, what looks like unplanned changes to us maybe God’s plan according to His purpose. But can God use a crisis to bring about His goodness and mercy to an individual or a nation? Since crises are the staircase to new appointments and opportunities in the journeys of life.

The answer is yes. Even so, the plans of the Lord always carry with her the potential to move us to a new level of experience. According to His purpose, God can allow changes when it is ordained to take us to Mount Pisgah so we can see the Promised Land. He says I know my plans for you are good, to bring you to an expected, or a successful end.

Hence, the Lord gave us the Bible as our guide and light to lead us in a dark world by which He assures us of the future. He is sovereign over the affairs of men. The writings of the scripture are enough proof of the plan of God to us.

In the same way, God has revealed the truth of His sovereignty to Daniel including his friends while facing a difficult situation in Babylon, the capital of the world.  Babylon at that time in world history was the strongest among the nations, also doubling as the tech-capital of the then world. Even at that, our sovereign God did not insulate Daniel and his three friends from the crisis at that time. It was in a time of a great spiritual and moral crisis where death was a choice to escape the horrors of that time.

Today, the same Lord did not insulate the church from the consequences of the unplanned changes in the present crisis of the pandemic.  For this reason, she must relearn the lesson of God’s sovereignty over the affairs of man to move to a new level.

In the past, Christ Jesus the Head had passed through the worst form of crisis as appointed by the Lord God. It follows then that if the Head had experienced hardship in His perfection, then the body must experience some form of lesser suffering.  Even Church history has confirmed that crisis and hardship is the most effective path towards spiritual awakening. 

The hall of fame of our faith registers the crucible of suffering, afflictions, and persecution. Proving that suffering, crisis, and persecution are the most fertile soil for the revival awakening of the church if the body is to be refined and purified for the Master’s use.

Hence, the church can draw lessons from the biblical experience of the past to live in the present. That is why the writings of the Old Testament prophets are for our instruction in navigating difficult terrain and situations that includes the crisis of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Not that the Lord allowed the crisis to rattle the church to her foundation, but that the church might move to a new position higher in assuming her place in the world. Secondly, the church must put her house in working order as the next likely scenario. That is why I believe that God allowed, ordained that it should happen, including every single change and the consequence.

Therefore, whatsoever is happening tied to the truth of the steady march of creation. Because the invisible God allowed it. His authority is undisputed and His permission is unhindered. Hence, nothing in our world happens without His sign and seal. Without His permission, all the plans of man and all the enemies of God shall end up in vain.

According to the Book of Romans chapter 8, verse 28, we also know and believe that God is working all things together according to His purpose and His perfect will. The book of Ephesians chapter 1 and verses 11 confirms the same truth of the goodness of the Lord.  Due to His sovereignty, He will work all things together both bad and good for the good of the Church in the latter days. The crisis of the coronavirus is just one of those events that may point the church to the sufficiency of the Lord.

Today’s Preaching and the Samaritan Woman

Once I heard words from a wise pastor that still evoke awe in my heart even as the time eclipses like a winding clock. In fact, all believers can attest to the instance of the truth of the scripture coming alive unexpectedly like a stream bursting forth. It simply means there is a possibility of reading the same scripture several times over the years until suddenly the light burst forth with an understanding of the depth of the word. That is coming like lightning that further enlightening the import of the word of God.

So the story is the same everywhere among believers who have had the same experiences. What better time than today as people are finally coming to terms with the brevity of life and long-held beliefs that have constrained many on their journey through life. The present atmosphere brought by the Coronavirus has worsened the spiritual situation among all people and tribes.

The crisis has caused some of those people who had no interest in religion to rethink on a serious note the issues of life. Right now, there is a tectonic shift in the thought patterns of humanity worldwide towards the ideals of creationism. The world of faith is finally coming back to the basics considering the things that truly matter in life while stationed in the garage in need of urgent repair by Master Workman, our Lord Jesus.

The reality is finally dawning on all of the unpredictability of the future. Hence, today, I heard a word from a sermon preached on the Samaritan woman that changed my outlook on matters relating to the faith. The impact of the message changed all that transporting me on a different level. What struck me was the simplicity of the message and the thorough exegesis of the speaker as he focused with laser on the damage done by the blind dogmatism of the woman. This is the same blindness promoted by different denominations around the world when a church is unhinged from the Lord.

These are doctrines often clothed in the human practices that often scare unbelievers in the moment of responding to the message of salvation. Sometimes they are the hurdles that scare many from attending church services. These are the attitudes that frequently turned away seekers from believing in the gospel of the Lord when they sense hints of rigidity and denominational intolerance. 

This is what can happen when believers tend to focus on the periphery instead of Christ, and Him crucified. Just as the Samaritan woman was fixed on what the fathers of her faith have handed down and the religious doctrine of her denomination.  

According to the story, when the woman encountered the Lord Jesus at the well at a very odd time, to begin with. He asked her for water to quench his thirst. The woman retorted back “Why should I give you water ” basing her argument on the grounds of her religious separation and denomination as practiced today by many denominations. She said in the words I have paraphrased.

·         How can I offer you water when you identify with a different denomination from my own?

·         Why should I help you when we have no relationship with one another?

·         How can I help you when we do not believe in the same way and things I hold as sacred?

·         Why should I help you when you worship over there and we worship in those buildings out there?

·         Why should I help you when we have nothing in common, and nothing to do with one another?

·         Why should I help you when you worship on Saturday different from us who worship on Sunday?

·         Why should I help you when you say things contrary to what I believe?

·         How can I help you when you do not use certain elements in your worship?

·         How can I help you when you have images and paintings in your church?

These are some of the inferential deduction that can be gleaned from her responses.  In that, the woman focused on the place of worship and the teachings of her denomination also known as the Samaritans. The Samaritans are Jews and those of mixed marriage, including the Assyrians, dwelling in the Land. More specifically, they comprised of those that were carried away from the Northern Kingdom and those the Assyrians had settled in the Land of Israel who later evolved a form of worship that boycotted Jerusalem.

But our Lord focused on the “WAY” and person or object of worship. Most believers tend to focus the gospel on the “PLACE” and the denomination, instead of the Person of the gospel of God. At least, the pandemic has revealed to us that it is not the place that matters, but the way and the person to whom worship is addressed that really matters in life.

Besides, the woman was entangled in the web of human tradition and doctrine that turns away from the truth. She said our fathers worshipped in that place. In addition, our elders told taught us what to believe and do. Sometimes we find ourselves steep in a tradition inherited from the planter or founder of the particular denominational church that seriously blinds our understanding of the grace of God to all men.

In those times, we are focused on promoting our church doctrines instead of lifting up the Lord of Glory, our Lord Jesus Christ. These practices hinder the gospel making headway with the deeply religious in many lands. Such that stresses our denomination above Christ and love for the sinner. Believers are called by God to engage in the reconciliatory of the works of the Lord and not promote our style of worship and every other thing that turns from the truth.

Perhaps a thirsty soul is seeking to quench his thirst by seeking from a believer, but the believers are busy trying to force churches doctrine down the throat of the weary soul. It is more fruit-bearing and expedient to preach Christ and Him crucified that the superiority of our denomination.